Meat-holder.



H. THOMAS. MEAT HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1911.

1,026,721. Patented May 21, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

l7 i Agjijigjji giigi15 I1- AA A A A A A A AA A A A A A THOMAS. MEATHOLDER. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20. 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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E WW H. THOMAS.

MEAT HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

ssHnnTs SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY THOMAS, OF EAST HAM, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO U. S. SLICING.MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MEAT-HOLDER.

Application filed December 20, 1911. Serial No. 666,932. Substituted forapplication Serial filed March 27, 1911. a

To all whom it may concern:

*Be it known that I, -HENRY THOMAS, a

subject of the King of England, residing at East Ham, London, England,have invented plication Serial Number 617,071, filed March 10 Thisinvention relates to improvements in meat holders, particularlyadapted,-though not necessarily limited in its use, for holding meat tobe sliced by slicing machines of the type in which the meat or the likeis clamped upon a table designed to be carried backwardly and forwardlyin front of a rotating cutter in order that the meat may be cut into'slices In such amachine the meat is usually clamped by means of atoothed bar adjustably mounted upon vertical racks. However, owing tothe nature of this clamping arrangement, considerable difficulty andinconvenience is experienced in cutting the end. portion of the piece ofmeat, which end, and particularly the part directly under the clampingbar, it is impossible to cut by the machine. To overcome thesediiiiculties and objections, and to provide an improved, simple, durableand eflicient device having means whereby an end piece o'f meat may beheld while being sliced and the last slice released when the whole piecehas been cut up, is one of the objects of the present invention. A

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects,as will appear, the invention consists in the features ofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangementof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, andshown in the accompanying dra'wings'exemplifying the invention, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of an improveddevice of this class constructed in accordance with the princi ples ofthis invention and showing the same as applied to or connected with ameat clamping bar; Fig. 2 is a View taken on line- '22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view of a portion of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an endelevation of a portion of Fig.- 2 showing the meat holding hooks orprongs in a retracted Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

or released position; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another form ofholder; Fig.1 6 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 7 is a detailsectional view of a portion of Fig. 5 showing the meat holders or prongsin a retracted position; Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of another form. ofholder; Fig. 9 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 10 is a sectional planof Fig. 8,; Fig. 11 is a view in elevation with parts broken away ofstill another form of holder; Fig. 12 is a sectional view on line 1212of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12. showing the meatholders or hooks in a projected position; Fig. 14: is a sectional viewon line 14*14, Fig. 11.

In the forms of the invention herein illustrated, the holder comprises aplate or member-and a plurality of hooks, pins or the like,

which are adapted to be projected or passed provided whereby the hooksor pins may be withdrawn to release the meat when. required. Means arealso provided whereby .the hooks, pins, prongs or the like, may beeffectually employed with a machine wherein a table oscillates in acurved path. There is also provided means whereby the holder. may beemployed for holding meat to be cutby hand.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the form oftheinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the numeral 15 designates the clampingbar usually employed in meat slicing machines of this type for clampingthe meat upon the table 15 projecting above the surface of which table,are a plurality of spikes or pins 16 which penetrate the meat and whichcooperate with the clamping bar to hold the meat rigidly in position.The clamping bar 15 cooperates or moves upon the upright ratchetedguides 18 in a manner well known in this art, and one of these guides,the guide 18 is, pivotally supported as at 19 and an elastic member 20cooperates with the guide 18 to move theguide about its pivot 19 in onedirection to hold the clamping bar in position, and to permit the clamp-.ing bar to be adjusted when the guide is moved in the oppositedirection upon its pivot. Hinged to the clamping bar 15, preferably bymeans of a hinge 19, is a plate 20, which, when the clamping bar is inuse to clamp the meat, usually occupies a horizontal plane, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, but which, when it is desired to cut an, endpiece of meat, is lowered into a vertical plane, as shown in full linesin Fig. 2, by means of a lever 21 and a link connection 22, thehorizontal and vertical positions of the plate be ing determined bysuitable catches. The plate 20 is connected to the bar 15 by means of anarm or extension 23 which is so shaped that the face of the plate 20when arranged in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, will hebeneath the clamping bar 15 and between it and the table or support 15.

At the back of the plate 20 and mounted thereon, preferably by means ofrearwardly deflected flanges 24, are a number of rods or spindles 25capable of oscillating in horizontal planes, and each of these rods orspindles 25, in the present exemplification of the invention, carries aseries of pointed or sharpened hooks 26, which in their normalpositions, are situated with their points flush with or below thesurface of the plate 20,

and which, when the rods or spindles are partially turned, projectthrough holes or perforations 27 in the plate 20 so that their pointsare upwardly directed. These rods or spindles are moved by means of arms28 arranged thereonand are connected together by means of a link 29, andare moved by means of a hand lever 30 into an operative or inoperativeposition, and the operative position of the .hooks 26 are determined bya trigger catch 31 upon the lever 30 which cooperates with a notch orshoulder 32 preferably on the link 29.

Any suitable means may be provided which tends normally to retract thehooks 2'6, and for this purpose an elastic member 33 (see Fig. 1)preferably in the form of a spring, is provided, and this spring iscoiled about one of the spindles or rods 25 and is connected thereto insuch a manner that it will tend normally to retract the spindles andmove the parts to the posit-ion shown in Fig. 4 when the catch 31 isreleased.

Viththis form of the device in operation, the end piece of meat to besliced is placed against the face of the plate 20 when the latter is inits verticalposition and the hooks withdrawn. The hooks are thenprojected through the openings 27 in the plate until they penetrate themeat to about the depth of the last slice, whereupon the meat is readyfor cutting. These hooks are preferably arranged with their pointsextending upwardly andbeing thus arranged, will 0bviate the danger ofthe meat being dragged therefrom, or will reduce such danger to aminimum. Although the hooks in the present exemplification of theinvention are described as projecting upwardly when in use,

- it will be manifest they may be arranged to projectin any otherdirection. hen all but the last slice is cut and clear from the plate,the said last slice may be removed by simply withdrawing the hooks bymeans of the hand lever 30.

In order to insure that the plate 20 Will be held rigidly when in use,it is provided with two or more sockets in its bottom edge (seeparticularly Fig. 3) designed to fit over two of the spikes or pins. 16on the table or support 15. Obviously any other means may be employedfor holding the plate rigid.

The plate 20 is adapted to be swung about its pivot or hinge 19 by meansof the lever 21 which lever is pivotally connected as at 34 (seeparticularly Fig. 2) to a plate 35 which latter is connected as at 36with the clamping bar 15. The lever 21 is provided with a handle 37which is pivoted as at 38 intermediate its ends and is provided on oneend with a hand gripping portion and on its other end with a laterallyprojecting locking pin 39, which latter is adapted to engage'in eitherone of two holes 40, and to hold the lever 21 in its two extremepositions, that is, in the position shown in full lines, and alsodiagrammatically in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7the plate41 may be mounted upon the usual clamping bar or upon the usualvertical racks 17, 18

in any convenient manner, such for example, as by means of sockets 42,43, and the holding devices are in the form of pins 44, angularlydisposed and carried upon a back plate 45, normally maintained slightlytoward the rear of the face plate 41 and parallel thereto. The backplate 45 is slidably mounted in correspondingly inclined slots 46 formedin the lugs 47' mounted upon the face plate 41, so that when the backplate is raised reltatively to the face plate, the former at the sametime moves forwardly toward the face plate 41 to project the pins 44through holes orapertures 48 in the face plate, the pins projecting inan upward direction. The raising of the back plate 45 may beaccomplished in any suitable manner, but preferably by means of aconnection 49, and a cam lever 50 mounted upon the back plate" andoperating against a suitable fixed part 51 on the plate 41. An elasticmember 52 serves to keep the parts in either position. If de sired, thepins instead of being straight may be curved in a similar manner to thatshown in Figs. 1 to 3, the guide 46 being correspondingly formed toimpart the desired direction of motion.

Although the forms of invention already described are adapted for use inmachines making a straight out, it may be equally Well adapted tomachines for making acurved cut by bending theface plate and thespindles upon which the hooks or pins are carried. In Figs. 8-, 9 and10, there is shown such a form which is adapted to machines wherein thetable oscillates in a curved path. In this form, the back plate is madein two parts 53, each of which parts carry a set of pins 54 projectingupwardly and somewhat laterally so that as they are projected into themeat, they tend to thereby stretch the same and thereby take a firmerhold. The said back plates 53 are mounted in suitable guides 55 and arealso operated in a manner similar to the back plates shown in Figs. 5and 6, that is, by means of the connection 49 and the cam lever 50, butin this form of the invention the connection 49 is connected to a bar56, which couples the plates 53 together.

Although the invention as shown in Figs. 1 to at is applied to the usualclamping bar 15, it will be understood that it maybe formed separatelyand provided with suitable sockets 57, which are formed on the plate 20and adapted to fit over the upright rack members 17, 18 of the machine.F urther in some cases, where desired, the device may be utilized forholding a piece of meat or the like while being cut by hand,independently of the machine, and such a device is shown in Figs. 11 to14 of the drawings. In this form, the plate 58 is provided with a handle59, the latter being preferably formed upon a frame 60 to which theplate 58 is removably attached by fastening devices (31. The spindles 62are provided with hooks 63 similar to the hooks 26, and they passthrough apertures or openings 64 in the plate 58. The ends of thesespindles 52 are preferably journaled in bearing members 65, and thespindles and members are arranged within the frame 60 in the rear of theplate 58. The spindles and members 65 are removably secured in positionby means of fastening devices 66 passing therethrough and engaging aportion of the frame. Each of the spindles is provided with an arm orextension 67 connected thereto and by means of which the spindles arerotated to project or retract the hooks 63. In order that the spindlesmaybe simultaneously rotated, the projections 67 are connected by meansof a link member 68, and one of the projections 67 is formed into anoperating handle 69. It will thus be seen that when the handle 69 isoperated, the spindle 62 will be rotated in one direction or the otheraccording to the direction of movement of the handle with the resultthat the hooks 63 Will be either projected or retracted with respect tothe face of the plate 58. In use, this form of the device may be heldadjacent the meat by one hand grasping the handle 59, While with theother hand, the handle 69 may be operated to project the hooks 63 sothat they will penetrate the meat. If desired, this form of holder maybeprovided with sockets 70, 71, into which the upright rack members l7,18 project thereby enabling the operator to employ this form of deviceeither for cutting meat by hand, or in connection with a meat slicingmachine.

Obviously, the details of construction of this device may be variedconsiderably, and it is thereforenot desired that this application berest-ricted in this respect, and although the invention has beendescribed as applied to machines in which the meat or the like isclamped upon a table adapted to j be 'reciprocated with respect to theknife, it will be understood that it may be equally well applied tomachines in which the table is stationary, or in which no clamping baris employed. It is also obvious that the manner of projecting andretracting the pins may be changed asv well as the manner of mountingthe spindles and pins with'respect to the plate with relation to whichthe pins are adapted to be projected and retracted.

While in the specification and claims of this application the term faceplate has been employed to designate the elementagainst which the meatis clamped or drawn by the prongs, it is to be understood that this termis used in the broadest sense and is intended to include any abutment orrest with which the meat has engagement.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A device of the class described embodying a surface adjacent whichthemeat is arranged, meat holding prongs cotiperating with the said surfaceand adapted to be projected outwardly and beyond the plane of suchsurface into engagement with the meat and to be retracted, and means forthus projecting and retracting the prongs.

2. A device of the class described embody.- ing a support for the meat,a supplemental support adjacent which latter the meat is placed, andmeat holding prongs connected with the supplemental support and adaptedto be projected outwardly beyond the face thereof and retracted withrespect to the surface and into and out of engagement with the meat.

3. A device of the class described. embodying a support for the meat, asupplemental support adjacent which latter the meat is placed, and meatholding means connected with the supplemental support and adapted to beprojected outwardly beyondand retracted with respect to the face of thelatter and into and out of engagement with the meat, said meat holdingmeans when thus projected peiietrating the meat.

4.. A device of the class described embodying a support for the meat, asupplemental support adjacent which latter the meat is placed, meatholding means connected with the supplemental support and adapted toplaced, 'meat holding means cooperating with the supplemental supportand adapted to be projected and retracted with respect to the latter,and means tending normally to thus retract the said meat holding means.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a face plate, means for holding the plate in position foruse, and means adapted to be adjusted at will and with respect to thesaid plate to be projected outwardly from the face of the plate andretracted into and out of engagement with the meat.

7. In a device of the class described, the ('.()1i')l)lIltlt-l( li of aface plate, means for holding the plate in position for use, meansadapted to be projected with respect to the said plate into and out ofengagement with the meat and mecl'ianisin for controlling the last saidmeans at will, the second recited means operating to hold the meatagainst the plate.

In a device of the class described, the

combination of a face plate mounted for ready movement into and out ofposition for use, means for holding the plate in position for use,ineans adapted to be projected with respect to the said plate into andout of engagement with the meat, the last. said means operating to holdthe meat against the plate,

and mechanism for controlling the second recited means at will.

5). In an apparatus for holding material to be sliced, the combinationwith a support for holding the article to be sliced, of a face platemounted upon the support for ready adjustnu-ntinto and out of operativeposition with respect thereto, and means for cooperating with the faceplate for holding the i'iiaterial to be sliced against the face of thesaid face plate. j

10. In an apparatus for holding material to be sliced, thecon'ibiiiatio'n with a support,

of a face plate pivotcd to the support upon a horizontal axis andarranged to be moved into and out of a vertical operative position, andmeans for holding the material to be sliced against the face of the saidplate.

11. In an apparatus for holding the ma- .terial to be sliced, thecon'ibination with a support, of'a face plate pivoted to the supportupon a horizontal ams and arranged tobe moved into and out. of operativeposition, and n'ieans adapted to be projected bevond the face of theface plate and into engagement with the material to be sliced forholding the material against the face of the plate.

12, In an apparatus for holding the material to be sliced, thecombination with a support, of aface plate mounted upon the support andadapted to be readily moved into and out of operative position, meansadapted to be projected and retracted with respect to the face of theface plate to hold the material to be cut and for releasing saidmateriahand mechanism for controlling the last said means at will.

13. In an apparatus for holding material to be sliced, the combinationwith a support, of a faceplate mounted upon thesupport and adapted to bemoved into and out of 0perative position, means adapted to be projectedand retracted with respect to the face of the face plate, to hold thematerial to be cut and for releasing said material, means forcontrolling the last said means at will, said holding means penetratingthe material and operating to draw the material against the face of. theplate.

14. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of an abutment, a plurality of prongs, and mechanism forprojecting said \prongs at will and with respect to the said abutmentinto the, meat in such a manner as to hold the meat against theabutment.

15. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a face plate, a plurality of prongs, means whereby saidprongs may be projected at will and with respect to the plate into themeat in such a manner as to hold the meat against the plate, and meanstending nors mall y to'withdraw the prongs with respect to the faceplate.

1t). In an apparatus the like while being sliced, the combination of asupport for the meat, a face plate, a

plurality of prongs, means whereby said prongs may be projected withrespect to the face plate into the meat in such a manner as to hold themeat against the plate, and means for locking the prongs in theirprojected position with respect to the face plate. V 17. In an apparatusfor holding meat or the like while being sliced, the combination of aperforated face plate, means for supporting said plate, a plurality ofprongs'disposed at the rear of said plate, meansfor projecting saidprongs through the face plate the said prongs therefrom, and means forlocking said prongs in the projected position. 7 v

18. In an apparatus forholding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a perforated face plate pivotally mounted upon a support,meansfor securing said plate in operative and inoperative positions, oneormore prongs disposed at the rear of the said face plate, means forprojecting said prongs through theface plate intothe into the meat andfor withdrawing forlioldi ng meat or meat and for withdrawing saidprongs therefrom, and means for locking said prongs in the projectedposition.

19. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a face plate mounted upon a support and/ adapted to bereadily adjusted into operative and inoperative positions, one or moreprongs disposed adjacent said plate, and mechanism for projecting saidprongs with respect to the plate into the meat and for withdrawing saidprongs therefrom.-

20. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a face plate mounted upon a support and adapted to beadjusted intooperative and inoperative positions, one or moreprongsdisposed adjacent said plate, means for projecting said prongswith respect to the plate into the meat and for withdrawing said prongstherefrom, and means for locking said prongs in the projected position.

21. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a face plate, means for supporting said face plate, aseries of pivotal rods supported adjacent said plate, one or more hooksupon said rods, means for oscillating said rods to projectthe hooks withrespect to the plate into the meat and'for withdrawing said hookstherefrom, and means for maintain- I ing said hooks in the projectedposition.

22. In an apparatus for holding meat or the like while being sliced, thecombination of a face plate pivotally mounted upon a support, means forsecuring said plate in operative and inoperative positions, a series ofpivotal rods carrled with said plate, one

or more hooks upon saidrods, means for oscillating said rods to projectthe hooks with .respectto the plate into the meat and for withdrawingthe hooks therefrom, and means for maintaining the hooks in theprojected position. v

23. The combination with a meat support, and a supporting deviceoperatively connected therewith, of a perforated face plate connected tosaid supporting device, means for securing the said face plate inoperative said meat support, a series of prongs, means and inoperativepositions with relation to the for projecting the said prongs throughtheperforations of the face plate to engage the end portion of the meat,and means for ing device, a bell crank lever carried by the saidsupporting device, means for connectlng the said bell crank lever to theface plate, means for securing the said lever so as to hold the saidplate in operative and inoperative positions, a plurality of prongsdisposed at the rear of said face plate, means for projecting the saidprongs through the said face plate into the meat and for withdrawingsaid prongs therefrom, and means for locking the sald prongs in theirprojected position.

25. The combination'of a meat support and a meat holder cooperatingtherewith, said holder embodying a support adapted to be arrangeduprightly with respect to the first said support, and means carried bythe second recited support and adapted to be projected at will and withrespect thereto and into engagementrwith the meat.

26. The combination of a meat support and a meat holder cooperatingtherewith,

said holder embodying a support adapted to projected with respectthereto and into engagement with the meat, the last said meanspenetrating the meat and operating to draw the meat against the support.

27. The combination of a meat support and a meat holder cooperatingtherewith, said holder embodying a support adapted to be arrangeduprightly with respect to the first said support, means carried by thesecond recited support and adapted to be projected at will and withrespect thereto and into engagement with the meat, and means formaintaining the said holder in an operative position. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this fifth day of December A.D. 1911.

HEN-RY THOMAS.

Witnesses:

' E. CUEMANT, A. Soo'rr.

-. bISGnAIME 1-,026,721.Hen@ Thomas, East Ham, London, England. MEAT HODER; Patent dated May 21, 1912. Disclaimer filed March 8, 1926, by theassignee, U. 45'.

, Slicing Machine. Company. p A Hereby enters this disclaimer to thesaid claims 9, 12, and 13 1n'sa1d speclficatlon, which claims are in'thefollowing words, to wit:

9. I-n'anap aratus for holding material to lie-sliced, the combinationwith a support for hol ing the article to be sliced, of a faceplatemounted upon, the sup port for ready adjustment into and out ofoperative position with respect thereto and means for cooperating withthe face plate for hol inp; the material to be sliced against the faceof the said face plate. i

12; In an apparatus for holding the material to be sliced, thecombination. with a support, of a face plate mounted upon the supportand adapted to be readily moved into and out of operative position,means ada ted to bep-rojeoted and retracted with respect to the face ofthe faceplate to ho d the material to be out and .for releasingsaidmaterial, and mechanism for controlling the last said means at will.v 13. In an apparatus fon holding material to be sliced, the combinationwith a support, of a face plate mounted upon the support and adapted tobe moved into and out of, operative position; means adapted to beprojected and retracted with respect to the face of the face plate,tohold the materlal to becu-t and for releasing said material, means forcontrolling the last said means at will, said holdinggneans penetratingthe material and operating to draw the material against the face of, theilate. v

/[ mzo ae Ma /L 23, 1.92

